Expanded Shale? Could it replace pumice/lava rock?

MustangStudFarm · Jan 18, 2016

My local store said that she could not find pumice and I could only find the large lava rock for landscaping. However, the store owner said that the expanded shale should be a good replacement for it. I bought it without doing any research on it. Well, I came across this article from Texas A&M and shale is supposed to be rich in that region. They recommend using a lot of it!!! Copy&Paste time...

Recommendations for using expanded shale with containerized plants call for putting one-third of the material in the bottom, then mixing the expanded shale with potting soil 50-50 for the rest of the pot.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/...hortupdate_archives/2003/nov03/Expdshale.html

MustangStudFarm · Jan 18, 2016

Wait, what do they mean by 1/3 of "material" on bottom??? Soil or shale

greasemonkeymann · Jan 18, 2016

MustangStudFarm said:
Wait, what do they mean by 1/3 of "material" on bottom??? Soil or shale

just treat it like perlite or pumice, sounds like its closer to pumice.
I think they meant to put a layer of it at the bottom of the container to promote drainage.
so to fill the lower third of the container with the haydite

tropicalcannabispatient · Jan 18, 2016

Means that your butt hurt...

MustangStudFarm · Jan 18, 2016

greasemonkeymann said:
just treat it like perlite or pumice, sounds like its closer to pumice.
I think they meant to put a layer of it at the bottom of the container to promote drainage.
so to fill the lower third of the container with the haydite

If I remember right, you said that you use rotten wood and bio-char for drainage also? How would that work together?

greasemonkeymann · Jan 18, 2016

MustangStudFarm said:
If I remember right, you said that you use rotten wood and bio-char for drainage also? How would that work together?

the more variation the better.
I have perlite, volcanic rock (both from my old base soil of vermifire from yrs back), pumice, biochar, and treelogchunks.
rice hulls from a long time ago too.
It's all just fine together.

MustangStudFarm · Jan 18, 2016

greasemonkeymann said:
the more variation the better.
I have perlite, volcanic rock (both from my old base soil of vermifire from yrs back), pumice, biochar, and treelogchunks.
rice hulls from a long time ago too.
It's all just fine together.

The bottom 1/3 is going to be shale, then out the remainder 2/3, half of that is going to be aeration... It sounds like 2/3 of the soil is aeration? It sounds like a lot to me, but I did get 15gal fabric pots recently!

greasemonkeymann · Jan 18, 2016

MustangStudFarm said:
The bottom 1/3 is going to be shale, then out the remainder 2/3, half of that is going to be aeration... It sounds like 2/3 of the soil is aeration? It sounds like a lot to me, but I did get 15gal fabric pots recently!

nah fuck that 1/3rd thing, just mix all your soil up, I wouldn't put all that at the bottom man.
I was just saying earlier that, that is what they meant

MustangStudFarm · Jan 18, 2016

tropicalcannabispatient said:
Means that your butt hurt...

greasemonkeymann said:
nah fuck that 1/3rd thing, just mix all your soil up, I wouldn't put all that at the bottom man.
I was just saying earlier that, that is what they meant

I wish that there was a "ignore" the "show ignored content" button!!!

greasemonkeymann · Jan 18, 2016

MustangStudFarm said:
I wish that there was a "ignore" the "show ignored content" button!!!

meh, don't sweat it, the only reason it was posted was to rile you up.
"he who angers you, own you"
Old Eastern Philosophy

Expanded Shale? Could it replace pumice/lava rock?

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